Counter.



G. H. JONES.

COUNTER. APPLICATION man MARJMIQH.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Inventor v Grover H. Jon 8 Att GIBOVEB H. JONES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

COUNTER.

Specification 'or Letters' latenti i P t nt t, 1 1917 Application filed March a, 1917. Serial No. 152,723.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnovne Jones, a citizen of the United States, resldmg at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and.

State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Counters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a registering device and particularly pertains to a counter.

It is the principal object of this invention to count and register thenumber of times a machine or apparatus has been actuated by the use of a single and effective counting device.

This device is particularly adapted for use in street sewer systems to register the number of times the flush basins have been emptied in a given period of time. Due to the simplicity of the counter, its use in such places will eliminate the services of numerous inspectors and permit the sewer systems to be maintained in a proper sanitary condition at slight expense.

Another object of this invention is to pr0- vide a counter which possesses no parts liable to become broken or inoperative from wear.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a counter which is formed of few parts, inexpensive in construction and easily assembled.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by way of.

example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section and elevation illustrating the counter as applied to the flush basin of a sewer system.

Fig. 2 is a view in plan illustrating the counter in detail and particularly disclosing the sinuous course of travel of the counting element.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section as seen on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 disclosing the depressions in the floor of the counting table along which the counting element moves.

Fig. 4 is a view in plan illustrating the counter as mounted for operation upon 1ts bearings.

Referring more particularly to the drawing. 10 indicates a flush tank which is con nected with sewer pipes 11 and 12. The pipe 12 is here shown as formed with a trap 13 which drains the tank. The pipe 11 enters the tank from the opposite slde and near thetop. Mounted upon this pipe is a pair of clamping brackets 14: and 15. These brackets are 'det-achably secured around the pipe and-are fitted with upwardly extending bcarings'lG and 17. These bearings provide-a pivotal mounting for a counter 18. While .I have described the counter as mounted for use in connection with a sewer flush tank, it is to be understood that this combination is not an essential one and that the counter may be used in connection with any, apparatus or mechanism with which it will satisfactorily operate.

The counter as here shown, is substantiallysquare and is formed with a body plate 19 having a flange 20 extending there around. This flan e extends upwardly from the body plate an serves as a mounting for a glass cover 20. Mounted at opposite sides of said body plate and in alinement with each'other are trunnions 21 and 22. These trnnnions are positioned a distance ofi center, fromthe body plate and insure that the weight ofthe eccentrically hung portion will co-act with a float member 23 to operate the device. This float is suspended by achain orcable 24 from an eye 25 formed at the end of the counter. In this manner the emptying of the tank 10 will relieve the float and cause the counter to swing upon its, trunnions in an oscillating movement.

--.-The -counter is located so that it may be read by removing a manhole cover.

The oscillating movement of the counter plate is provided to propel a counting element 26. This element is here shown as a small ball which is adapted to move along a sinuous path of travel as the counter is oscillated. This movement is produced by the peculiar contour of the counter floor, which is has shown as having a series of parallel grooves 27. These grooves are separated by ridges which are serrated, as particularly disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The floor of the grooves between the serrations is formed with depressions 28. These depressions are so disposed in relation to each other as to cause the counting element to pursue a zig-zag course of travel back and forth along the groove and from one serration to the other as the counter is successively oscillated. The downstroke of one oscillation will cause the element to roll across and to register with the serration of one ridge and the upstroke of the same oscillation will cause it to roll across diagonally to a serration in advance of the preceding one. It will be understood that the serrations forming the side walls of the grooves are staggered in relation to each oth r so that the up and down stroke of the counter wil-L cause the co'uritin element to advance one serration along side of the groove. These progressive steps in the movement of'the counting element are tabulated bymeans of graduations-formed upon the surface of the glass cover and in this manner the exact number of oscillations mayv be accurately registered When the counter is mounted, as disclosed in Fig; 1, the counting element is initially placeddn the position-shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. .VVhen the tank is emptied, the float -23 wi ll 'be relieved of the support of the water in the tank and the counter will be swung upon its trunnions. As the tank again fills, the weight of the over-hanging portion of the counter will cause it to swing 1n' the opposite direction. This will allow the counting element to move across and advance along the groove 27. As the counter is successively operated, the element will finally reach a communicating-passsage-way 29 from-which it will pass into a second groove and along which it will continue;

After the counting element has traversed the entire course across the --floor-of" the plate, it will return to its initial position along -a passage-way '30.

It will thus-be seen that the counting device here described is decidedly simple in its construction and operation and that it will accurately register the number of times it is oscillated regardless of the mechanism upon which it is mounted.

"While I have shown the preferred construction of my counter as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes in the combination, eonstruction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A counter comprising a pair of horizontall; alined bearings, a plate, trunnions extendingfrom the plate into the bearings and permitting oscillation of the plate, the plate being overbalauced one way means for over-balancing the plate the other Way, means forming a zig-zag path upon the plate, a ball traveling in the path step by step, means directing the ball forwardly at each step and preventing a backward step, a transparent cover for the plate, and graduations upon the cover.

2. A counter comprising a plate pivotally mounted in a horizontal plane longitudinally and to oscillate transversely, the plate being overbalanced one way, means for overbalancing the plate the other way means forming a zig-zag path upon the plate with a depression at each turn in the path, a ball traveling in the path from depression to depression at each oscillation of the plate, means directing the ball-forwardly at each step and preventing a backward step, and graduations for indicating the number of steps.

"In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification GROVER H. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

\ Washington, D. G. 

